Thunder Rolls Again
by Aussielover
Summary: Another evening on patrol for Jim and Pete turns into a life or death situation. An old motorcycle gang feels they are owed some payback.
1. Chapter 1

Thunder Rolls On

Splayed across the cold, hard gray linoleum floor lay one uniformed Los Angeles police officer, unconscious and bleeding. Feverish sweat mixed with dark blood matted up into tufts of his strawberry blonde hair. Flushed red cheeks and a perspiration soaked white undershirt showed signs of an obviously ill man. Long narrow isles and tall store shelves walled him in. Large SALE signs covered the front store windows hiding the victim from view.

Three hours earlier Officers Reed and Malloy climbed into their squad car after finishing the job of clearing a traffic accident scene. It was a cool evening in LA, but not so cold to warrant a jacket. Before he turned the key in the ignition a subtle banter started back and forth between Jim and Pete. Jim noticed Pete wiping away the perspiration on his brow.

"Do you want me to drive, Pete? You don't look like you feel well."

"If it wasn't for my partner being a walking Petri dish, I probably wouldn't have this lousy cold."

"Come on, Pete. It was over a week ago that I was sick, and it was the flu not a cold."

"Jim, how can you be so sure. Maybe it was both." Pete commented with a sarcastic tone.

"Really Pete, I'm worried it's not just a cold. You look awful."

"Thanks Jim; that makes me feel soooo much better." Pete sniffled then before he had a chance to pull out a handkerchief. "Ahchoo!"

"I mean it, Pete. Should you even be working tonight? Maybe we should just head back to the station." As Pete blew his nose, Jim continued by asking, "I could just switch to an L car."

Pete glared over at his partner. _Jim can really look like a worried puppy sometimes. _

"Pete, have you taken any medication?"

"Seriously Jim, I don't need another mother." A sudden cough interrupted the conversation. "Can you clear us on the radio so we can get back to work?"

Jim gently shook his head with frustration and worry for his stubborn partner. "Sure." He picked up the mike and said, "1-Adam 12 clear."

A wake of silence hung in the air for the next few minutes. Jim knew he could only push Pete so far. Even with the close bond between them, Jim understood the space Pete demanded. But Jim had a way of testing the boundaries, as annoying as it was.

A short time later while patrolling near the 405 and Wilshire Boulevard, the black and white came up on a swerving navy Pontiac sedan. Pete flicked the lights to signal the driver to pull over. The driver didn't seem to notice the squad car following and continued the erratic driving. Pete tapped on the horn to get the driver's attention. Jim ran the plate and found no wants or warrants on the vehicle. The car finally pulled over and appeared to have only one person inside. As both officers climbed out of the car, Pete glanced over at Jim and asked, "Can you take this one?"

"Yeah, I got it." Jim carefully walked up to the driver's side window and bent down to talk to the driver. "License and registration, please?"

Pete suddenly coughed into his tightly clinched fist. He stepped over to the curb to watch Jim's interview of the driver. Jim quickly came back around to his open door to run the driver's license. After a quick radio check, he got the all clear. He stepped up beside Pete to say, "He doesn't have a record. I don't smell anything on his breath. He said he just pulled an all nighter and just dozed off when driving back to campus. I think our lights and siren might have startled him awake."

"Ok, let's cut him loose."

Jim gave the student a warning and encouraged him to drive with the windows down and the radio up since he had only a short drive back to his dorm.

"Thank you, Officer!" The young man said. The sedan pulled away with music blasting on high.

The officers got back in the squad. Jim picked up the mike again. "One Adam-12, clear."

The dispatcher responded, " One Adam-12, see the woman at 228 Tilden Avenue, for possible domestic disturbance, code 2."

"One Adam-12, roger."

It took only a couple minutes to get to the address. The address was located in an upscale neighborhood not far from Brentwood and Beverly Hills. The area around the house was dark except for two street lamps at the curb. They could see a light on in the first level of the two story white home. As Jim radioed in, "One Adam-12, code 6 at 228 Tilden Ave," both officers heard screaming from inside the house.

They approached the house with caution. They then heard a woman yelling at the top of her lungs, "Get the hell out!" Both officers placed one hand ready on their side arms. Domestic situations had a history of being dangerous. Pete knocked on the door and announced, "This is the police! Open up!"

A six-foot tall, broad shouldered woman swung open the door. She wore a ruby colored full-length robe over a white lacey nightgown along with slippers. Her eyes were bulging and her cheeks were flushed. She looked over the officers and shouted, " What the hell do you want?"

"Excuse me, Ma'am, but we received a call for a disturbance at this address." Pete said before briefly turning away to cough.

"Oh, there is more than just a disturbance here! I have a damn idiot of a husband. Matter of fact, why don't you drag his sorry ass out of here!"

Jim raised the palms of his hands trying to signal her to calm down. "Ma'am, can I talk to you in the kitchen for a moment, please?" as he stepped into the house.

"Is this really necessary?" She said in a huff, but then started to simmer down some.

"Yes, it will only take a few minutes if you cooperate." Reed quickly followed the wife through the hallway to the kitchen at the rear of the house.

Pete walked into the front room and spied the irritated husband pacing at the far end of the living room. The man was well dressed in black slacks, a white button-down shirt, and loosened red tie. Some shattered pieces of glass were spread across the Oriental rug in the middle of the room. Careful to avoid the shards, Pete approached the mister.

"I'm Officer Malloy. Can you tell me your name?"

The man paused for a second and briefly looked over at Pete. "Ken Jenkins"

"Mr. Jenkins, can you tell me what is going on here?"

"Yeah, just a second." He walked over to a small liquor cabinet. As he proceeded to make himself a whiskey on the rocks he began to share. "Officer, it's just a big misunderstanding." The man turned to face Pete while taking a gulp of the drink.

"What kind of a misunderstanding, Sir?"

With hesitation in his voice, "My wife, Jacqueline seems to think I had an affair." He took another big swig then wiped a drip away with the back of his hand.

"Mr. Jenkins, I don't think drinking is going to help the situation. You need to keep a clear head."

Just then Jim came back into the living room wanting to share notes with Pete, close behind was Jacqueline Jenkins. She appeared to be calm, but then got a glimpse of her husband drinking.

She lunged forward and said, "Hiding behind that bottle won't save you!"

Pete stepped between the two. "You need to calm down, Mrs. Jenkins!"

Jim pulled her a couple steps away and tried to reason with her.

Malloy faced Jenkins. "Do you have somewhere else you can stay tonight?"

Looking more defeated than ever, he said, "Yeah. I do." He set the glass down on the cabinet, and then rubbed his forehead anxiously.

"We don't want to be called back here tonight."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." He walked to the door grabbing his suit jacket on the way out. Pete followed close behind.

Mrs. Jenkins mumbled, "Good riddance," then the waterworks began. She retreated to the couch with her face in her hands.

Jim knelt down beside her. "Are you going to be ok?"

She glanced up at him with tears dripping down her cheeks, "Eventually."

Not knowing what else he could do, Reed quietly left the house. A gray Thunderbird pulled out of the garage with Jenkins in the driver's seat. He slowly drove away. Jim met Pete back at the squad. As the partners got in Jim said, "That could have gotten really ugly."

Pete tossed his hat in the back. "Maybe they can cool down and talk civil to each other tomorrow."

Jim took the mike and cleared them.

As he pulled out his notebook, he shook his head. He began to scribble notes on the pad for the nightly reports. "So, what was the husband's story, Pete?"

Pete covered his mouth as he cleared his throat. "All I really got out of him was they had a misunderstanding. His wife thought he was having an affair."

"It sounded like it wasn't the first time according to her."

Again Pete covered his mouth with a closed fist as he coughed again. He then commented, "One more reason not to get married."

"Not funny, Pete. All marriages don't end in break ups. You just need to find the right woman. By the way, Jean has a girlfriend that she wants you to meet."

"No thanks, Jim. The last girl Jean set me up with wouldn't stop talking long enough to even take a breath."

"Speaking of breathing, you sound terrible."

"Thanks for reminding me." Pete rubbed his brow as a mild headache turned a ratchet up on the pain scale.

"Seriously, have you taken anything for that cough?" Jim paused, but Pete didn't respond. "Why don't we stop at the next drugstore and you can pick up something?"

"We only have another two hours of our patrol."

"But if you take something now, you will feel better by the time your home and in bed."

"Ok. Ok."

Since it was a little after midnight, not many shops were still open. Thankfully, one Rexall Drugstore on Pico Boulevard was open all night. Pete pulled into the side parking lot.

Jim spoke up, "I'll wait here and listen for the radio in case we get a call."

"I won't be long." Pete felt a little light-headed from the now throbbing headache. He walked around to the front glass door entrance of the store. As he entered, the storekeeper asked, "Can I help you officer?"

He approached the older man at the counter. "Can you tell me where the cold medicine is?"

"Sure, it's on the back wall in that isle," as he pointed to the far right side of the long one story building. The clerk noticed Pete looked a bit out of sorts.

Pete went searching for the cold medicine along the far wall. In the meantime, the clerk was busy stocking some shelves behind the counter.

Unbeknownst to the clerk and Pete, three masked men quietly came through the rear service entrance of the store. With a quick visual sweep of the place, the three divided up. One, dressed in blue jeans and a denim vest with a large logo embroidered on the back, moved to the front of the store. He flipped the open sign to closed and twisted the deadbolt knob. The second guy, wearing worn blue jeans and a red plaid shirt, scouted out the store clerk while the third one, a short, heavier set guy, ransacked the back looking for valuables.

While the clerk reached up to place some bottles on the back wall the second man stepped up behind him. The man pulled out a pistol and poked it in the store clerk's side. "Don't say a word! Just open the cash drawer and you won't eat a bullet."

The first thug then noticed the police officer after peering around the isles. He came up an inside isle and pulled out a handgun from his back waistband. After coming around the end shelf just one step away from Pete who stood looking at a medicine bottle in his hand from the back shelf lined with many cough elixirs, the thug slammed the butt of the gun across the back of Malloy's head. Pete collapsed to the floor in a state of unconsciousness dropping the bottle in the process. The thug grabbed out Pete's gun from his holster before hurrying to the back of the store. The three reconvened in the back. Lou, the second thug, held a bag of cash and shoved the store clerk to his knees. "I got the money!"

Eddie, the first man, was quick to say, "There was ONE customer in the store. It was a COP! I knocked him out cold! I got his gun, too." He passed the weapon to the heavy-set man who promptly stuffed it in his front waistband. The third man seemed to be in charge. He issued orders to the two others. He pointed down at the store clerk, "Tie him up and put him in the back room. Let's go see this cop you put out of commission."

The two men marched to the spot where Pete laid. The man in charge rolled Pete over from his left side to his back. "Oh, Man!" the leader blurted out as he saw Pete's face. The man looked down at the ID badge that read Officer Malloy. "I can't believe it!" The leader suddenly pulled down his red bandana from his face to his neck.

Eddie asked, "What is it, Bach?"

A long grin spread across his face like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland. He said, "It's the pig that put us in jail from the ghost town!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Thunder Rolls

"Are you sure, Bach?"

"Yeah, Man, I'll never forget his face." Bach paused for a moment; thinking. "This changes everything. We're taking him with us." Bach ran his hands underneath Pete till he felt the officer's cuffs.

"How are we suppose to do that? We only have a couple bikes."

With the cuffs in his hands, Bach looked up at Eddie. "Go get the keys to the clerk's car. We'll borrow it … permanently."

As Eddie started to jog to the back, Bach shouted, "Eddie, take a look outside to see if our friend here has someone waiting, but don't be seen!"

Bach grabbed Pete's limp wrist and snapped on the first cuff. He then pulled up the other one in front and squeezed the cuff tight. As he did it he whispered, "We have some catching up to do, Fuzz. Now, it would be just perfect if your good friend Reed was here for the party too."

Bach waited for a few seconds before Lou and Eddie showed up. "I got the keys to the dude's car." He tossed them to Bach.

"Good, good! So, do we have us another pig?"

"Yeah, it looks like he's waiting in the car in the side lot. Georgie is keeping an eye on him." The fourth man was the lookout from the beginning.

Bach stood up. "I want to put this one in the back seat of the car. Then we need to see if our second cop is Reed. I would hate to break up partners." A smile grew on his face again.

Lou spoke up. "What if it's not him?"

"Then we'll leave him behind with the clerk."

Eddie asked the brains of the outfit, "How are we going to get the other cop?"

"We'll just stage a victim in the alley. Every cop automatically comes to the rescue. He won't know what hit him."

Lou grabbed up Pete's arms, and Eddie, his legs. The two carried him out following Bach. They loaded him like a sack of potatoes in the back seat of the store clerk's gold Mercury. The other men then removed their masks.

Back at the squad, Jim worked on the report for the earlier Jenkins stop. He was making progress, but his thoughts were interrupted with worry for Pete. _He so rarely gets sick. I hope the rest of the shift is quiet._

Just then Jim heard a yell for help. At first he didn't see anyone, but then a man in a red plaid shirt and jeans ran out from the alley near the back corner of the drugstore. "I need help! I think my friend is having a heart attack!" The guy looked panicked.

Jim grabbed up the mike, "This is one Adam-12, we need an ambulance at 2716 Pico Boulevard for a possible heart attack." He instinctively darted from the car to follow the man to the victim.

"Where's your friend?"

"He's in the alley. Please hurry!" The two men raced toward the dimly lit alleyway between the blocks.

As Jim rounded the corner of the building he saw a man lying on the ground a few feet away from a parked car. It was dark, but a dusk to dawn lamp gave some visibility to the area. Jim knelt down beside what appeared to be an unconscious heavy-set man. He felt for the man's pulse when suddenly the victim's eyes popped opened, and the man pulled out a gun from under his vest. "Don't move copper or your dead!" Just then Jim felt another poke in his back. The friend of the victim was right behind him. Jim smartly raised his hands. He felt his weapon being removed. The heavy-set man stood up and leaned in close to read Jim's nametag. "REED, it's your UNLUCKY day."

Now with a little better light on his face and with the sound of his voice, Jim recognized the person before him. "Bach. So, you got released from prison."

"Yeah, four weeks ago…"

Lou interrupted, "We gotta get out of here! He called an ambulance!"

Bach went on, "Reed, you can expect to learn a lot more about prison. Put your hands behind your back now!"

Jim hesitantly put his hands back, and they were quickly cuffed with his own gear. Eddie stood by the trunk of the Mercury. He popped it open. "Get in and make it fast or I'll help you myself," Eddie cackled.

Jim didn't move quite quickly enough and Lou and Eddie gave him a big shove in the back. His forehead collided with the metal interior of the trunk causing a sudden jolt of pain. They slammed the top down and darkness enveloped Jim.

Bach issued the next orders. "Lou, you drive the car. Eddie, you're on shotgun duty. Georgie and I will lead the way on the bikes. Flash your headlights if you have any problems."

Eddie asked, "Where are we going?"

"Someplace where memories were made." Bach smiled as he swung his leg over the waiting orange and white hog. Eddie tossed the keys to Lou and climbed in the passenger side door. Georgie jumped on the other chopper and kick started it. The roar of the motors sounded a bit like thunder before they tore out through the alley onto the next street.

A couple minutes later a lone siren was heard coming up Pico Boulevard. A white and red ambulance pulled into the side parking lot of the Rexall drugstore. The two attendants wearing white shirts and navy pants climbed out of the unit looking every direction for the officer that called in the heart attack victim, but found just an empty squad car. One man walked to the front of the drugstore and tried the door and was surprised to find it locked. He noticed the hours on the door listed it as a twenty-four hour business. The place appeared open with the sign and inside lights on though he couldn't see anyone at the store counter. He returned to the side lot where his partner remained with the bus.

"See anyone, Barry?"

"Nope."

The driver called dispatch to report they couldn't find the victim or the reporting officer. Dispatch stated they were sending another squad to their location to assess the situation. "Stay put till it's confirmed there is or isn't a victim."

"Roger."

In the meantime, Barry, the attendant jogged around the back of the store into the alley. He didn't see any sign of anyone in the alley, but noticed the rear door to the store had been left ajar. He went ahead and knocked on the heavy metal door. After no response, he slowly pulled the door open and stepped inside. To his left was a door marked with a restroom sign and on the right a door labeled as the office. A stack of bottled Cola cases sat just outside this door. With one quick glance around he saw no one at all.

He walked up to the front of the store and shouted, "Hello, anyone here?" Not hearing anything, he glanced around the isles for somebody he might have missed. As he headed to the back of the store he noticed some fresh blood drops and a broken bottle of cough syrup in the outer isle. "What is this?" He mumbled to himself. He knew something wasn't right. He headed to the back door when he finally heard a grunt from the back room.

He swung open the cracked and peeling forest green office door to discover an older man gagged and tied, sitting on the cold cement floor, tucked between a wooden desk and metal filing cabinet.

"Oh my God! Are you ok?" Barry immediately squatted down to remove the gag from the man's mouth then started untying the ropes at his ankles.

"Yes, … " The clerk coughed. "I'm ok."

Going into ambulance attendant mode, "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No, really I'm fine … just a bit shaken up," the clerk said in a gravelly voice.

As Barry was untying the last of the ropes from the clerk's wrists, the two heard the siren of a police car rolling in.

"Sounds like the cavalry is here. Maybe we should go talk to them. Let me help you up." Barry helped the clerk up and the two walked out the back door.

Then the clerk noticed something wrong and became frantic. "Where's my car?"

Barry tried to calm the man down. "Hey, it's going to be ok. Let's go talk with the police." He pulled at the man's arm to steer him toward the side lot.

The other ambulance driver was standing at the back of the medical unit already speaking with two officers when the men arrived at the rear of the vehicle.

"Excuse me, officers, I think you need to speak with this gentleman." Barry announced.

A shorter blonde haired officer introduced himself, "I'm Officer Wells with the Los Angeles Police. Sir, can you give me your name and what you know about a heart attack victim here?"

"My name is Charlie … Charlie Gibson, and I work here at Rexall Drug. I don't know about any heart attack, but my store was just robbed, and they stole my car, too!"

Ed Wells looked over at his partner, Mike Sanchez. "What is going on here?" Knowing time is of the essence, Ed pressed for more information. "Can you tell us from the beginning what happened?"

Charlie was a bit slow to start. "About a half hour ago, an officer came in the store to buy some … cold medicine. Just a few minutes later I had a man poking a gun into my back demanding all the cash in the store."

Ed interrupted, "Did you see his face?"

"No, he was wearing a mask."

"Ok, go on."

"I gave him all the money in the register and then he took me to the back. Two other thugs convened there."

Ed spoke up, "What about the officer in the store?"

"I don't know, but one guy said he took care of the cop, but I never saw the officer again."

"Mister Gibson, can you think of anything else?"

"One guy went through my pockets and took my car keys." Gibson rubbed his chin and thought, "I did hear some loud engines roar before it was silent again."

"Tell me the make and model of your car?"

"A '68 gold Mercury Cougar with a black top."

"Two door?"

"Yes."

"Do you know your license number?"

The clerk closed his eyes as he tried to remember. "Ahh, it's 283 OCZ."

"Can you describe the man that held you up?"

"Maybe six feet tall, medium build, brown hair with a red plaid shirt and blue jeans."

Ed looked at Sanchez, "Put a call in for the supervisor. Let him know we have a 211 (armed robbery) and a possible 207 (kidnapping). Also put out an APB on the stolen 68' Mercury Cougar, gold and black, with license plate 283 OCZ."

Sanchez hurried back to his car to radio in the report.

"This is 1 Adam-36, requesting a supervisor at 2716 Pico Boulevard. We have a 211 and possible 207. Put out an APB on a California stolen."

"Go ahead 1 Adam-36."

"APB on California stolen, 283, Ocean, Charles, Zebra. Vehicle is a 68' gold and black Mercury Cougar, two door. Vehicle was stolen from Rexall Drugstore at 2700 block of Pico Boulevard. Suspect, one white male, brown hair, six-foot tall, red plaid shirt and blue jeans. Possible one or two more males involved, but no description available at this time. Supplemental, Officers Reed and Malloy are missing from the scene and may have been kidnapped."

Barry waited patiently for the interview of the clerk to end before raising his voice to Officer Wells.

"Officer, I think you should see something in the store."

Barry led Ed Wells back to the rear entrance into the store while the ambulance driver looked over Charlie. The two men made their way to the back isle where Barry showed Wells the blood and the shattered medicine bottle on the floor. "I hate to say it, Officer Wells, but I have a feeling one of your fellow officers is hurt."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Thunder

The gold Mercury reached the city's outskirts, following the two bikes. Traveling through the less populated hills brought a sense of relief to Eddie and Lou. After taking a tight turn, a low groan was heard from the backseat victim.

"Hey Lou, I think our fuzz friend is starting to wake up."

"Keep an eye on him. If he becomes a problem, you can get in the backseat with him."

"Where do you think we're going, Lou?"

"How the hell should I know?"

Pete's head rolled to the side and a moan slipped out from the semi-conscious man. In his waking state his hands flexed open and closed instinctively to help better circulate the blood better through the constricting cuffs. His uniform shirt, in addition to his undershirt, was now damp from feverish sweat. His long body was somewhat contorted and sideways in the cramped backseat of the car. His eyes blinked as his awareness grew. He only experienced darkness from either the poor light in the car or maybe his vision wasn't in working order yet. As he shifted, the combination of the moving car, and the resonating throb from the head wound, brought about a sudden episode of nausea. His stomach's automatic response was to tighten into a knot. A loud retch was heard as he vomited onto the floorboards. Still not fully aware, he couldn't understand the words that were shouted next.

"What the crap? The cop's spewing in the back!"

Lou confidently said, "Bach put you in charge of him. You can clean it up!"

The two were distracted from the issue in the back when they saw the bikes signal to turn into an open gas station. Each bike took a side at the single pump station. Lou pulled the car into the lot, but waited just out of range of the lone late-night attendant. Lou grumbled, "Find something to cover him up with!"

Eddie looked frantically around the inside of the car, knowing he couldn't dare to open the trunk to see if anything was in there. He finally pulled off his jean vest and tossed it over Malloy's head and chest.

"Watch him!" Lou got out and walked up to Bach at the pump.

"How much farther is it?"

"We should be there in another twenty minutes." Bach turned to the twenty-something attendant filling the tanks. "Hey, Man, here's twenty bucks. We'll fill my friends car. You can go back to your smoke break." With Georgie, Bach, and Lou all staring daggers at the man, he decided to avoid a confrontation.

"Sure. Sure, Mister." He topped off the orange chopper and put the handle back in the pump. Bach handed him the bill. He quickly walked back into the small station and stashed the cash away. He nervously lit up a cigarette, taking an unorthodox number of puffs. Hoping to avoid another faceoff, he sat down inside thinking 'out of sight out of mind.' The reality was that the station was too far from any help if the gang decided to hold up the place.

With the station attendant now out of view, Lou returned to the car. Georgie rolled his bike forward and Lou pulled up to the pump.

With the car next to him, Bach looked in at his boy in the backseat. "So how is he?"

Eddie piped up first; "I hope I didn't hit him too hard. He's now just starting to stir." He pulled off the vest and Malloy squeezed his eyes shut from the sudden flash of light.

Lou then spoke up. "I don't think he knows who we are, let alone who he is yet."

Eddie climbed out of the car and looked around for a rag. He spied one hanging on the post by the pump. He grabbed it and walked around to the passenger side door. He opened it up and proceeded to wipe up the vomit in the car. As he did, he whispered to the cop, "We don't need you stinking up the rest of the ride." He tossed the rag to the ground and then walked back around by the others.

Bach took a step to the back and with his fist hit the trunk twice to send a message to his other captive. "Enjoying the ride, Pig? Well, you two take care of them till we arrive. I can't wait to see Malloy face to face."

Eddie asked, "Do you think there is any food here?"

"I'll see." Bach walked into the small station. He looked around the tiny one room building. He spied a small fridge. "Mind if I grab a bite?" He glared at the small-framed attendant.

"Sure, help yourself."

He finds a six-pack inside and a large bag of chips on top. He scoops up everything and turns for the door.

The attendant started to complain, but changed his mind and sat back down. He took a long drag on the cigarette. "Damn it!"

Bach handed the beer and chips to Eddie then went over to his bike and climbed on.

Eddie passed the stuff to Lou then decided to get into the back with Malloy since he was acting more with it. He moved Pete's legs to the floor and squeezed inside. He slid his hand across the gun wedged in his waistline, reminding himself to pull it out if needed. Lou finished filling the tank then slide into the driver's seat.

Pete still had his head and shoulder buried in the back corner of the car with his eyes pinched shut. Eddie reached over and tapped Pete's cheek to express Bach's sentiment. "It won't be long now, Fuzz."

Inside the close quarters of the trunk, Jim could only make out mumblings from the brief conversation. Even in the cool evening air, the small confined space was warm, and Jim was damp with sweat. His shoulder and lower arm muscles were tight from the awkward position that he was situated in. His gut hurt from worry for himself and for whatever was happening with his partner. Jim felt the car restart and was jostled about as it began to move again.

Eddie asked Lou, "What do you think Bach will do with these two?"

"My guess would be some payback for getting us locked up in prison for two years. Remember what happened to Billy behind bars?"

Eddie's face contorted from the foul memories. Pete stirred again. This time he opened his eyes and tried to focus. Only the pulsing ache in his skull was registering. His hearing and vision continued to fade in and out. He swallowed hard then a cough followed, bringing up a bitter taste of bile.

Lou glanced over the seat to the back. "You really scrambled his brains good, Eddie."

"Yeah, I know."

Pete's strawberry blonde hair was damp from his perspiration. The oozing blood from the head wound had stopped and now was sticky and crusty. His mind finally started to clear from the concussion. He realized his numb hands were cuffed, and he was riding in a car, but not Adam-12. He tried to concentrate on the voices he heard, but didn't recognize them. He wondered to himself. "_Where am I? What happened? Think Malloy!"_

He knew he was in his uniform since he could feel his utility belt pushing against his waist, but he couldn't recall what day it was. Straining to remember, he had vague thoughts of the couple fighting then stopping at the drugstore, but nothing else. _Was there a holdup? I must have been hit in the head. _Pete based this thought on the unyielding pain in his skull.

Eddie noticed that Malloy's eyes were open. "Hey Pig, you finally waking up?" He followed the question with a slap on Pete's shoulder. Pete looked over at Lou and then Eddie beside him with a dazed expression.

"Who … are … you?"

"Awww Lou, he doesn't remember us," came from the man beside Pete.

"Oh, give him time, Eddie."

"You remember your own name, don't you?" Eddie flicked the name badge on Pete's uniform shirt. "It says, Malloy, right here."

"What … do you want?"

Eddie thought for one second. "You owe us! And we plan to collect! Now you just sit tight. We should be there soon."

To Pete this meant his likely demise. An officer in his own cuffs spelled disaster. He needed to think of something quickly. What could he do to move the scales in his favor? Pete shifted in the back seat to right himself. He blinked and looked about the car. Outside was pitch dark. He only saw a wall of trees on the left and right from the beam of the headlights. Pete guessed the road was gravel by the bumpiness of the ride. He finally recognized the sound as well as realized that the small glowing lights in front were two motorcycles taillights. _Eddie, Lou, why do the names sound familiar? The biker gang…_

Eddie got worried as he saw Pete looking around and pulled out the pistol from his waist. Pete was jousted from his thoughts when Eddie shoved him down. "Fuzz, stay down and don't move or I'll put a bullet in you."

Pete took the opportunity to get the upper hand. He swung his hands up and knocked the gun from Eddie's grasp. It tumbled down between the men. Pete pulled back his left leg then jammed it into Eddie's knee. Eddie let out a howl as he grabbed protectively at the burning joint. Pete fumbled with his clasped hands for the gun when Lou reacted to the commotion in the back seat by slamming on the brakes. Pete and Eddie were thrown into the back of the front seat. Pete fell down into the floorboard space while Eddie bounced back in the seat. Eddie located the gun and picked it up.

The car sat idol for a minute, and then Lou yelled, "What the hell just happened?"

"I got the gun! I got the gun!" Eddie shouted.

"Give it to me!" Lou took it from Eddie and shoved it in the glove compartment. "Just hit the guy if he moves again."

A frustrated Eddie stomped down on Pete's shins. Pete grimaced, but didn't make a sound.

The bikes stopped up ahead, waiting on the car. Soon all three were rolling again. Another few minutes went by and it felt like the car traveled up a small mountain and then down into a valley. The sound of the roaring motors came to an abrupt stop. The car jerked from the brakes being applied and then it was quiet.

"Where are we?" Eddie asked.

"It looks like Silver Lode, the ghost town, we got busted in." His headlamps illuminated the dirt main street.

"Stay here!" Lou climbed out of the car and met with Bach and Georgie a few yards away. "So, now what?"

Bach spoke up, "Let's catch a few Z's since it's still dark."

"What about our cop, Malloy? He's awake now. He even tried to grab a gun from Eddie."

"Let's just pull him out and cuff him to a post. He can chill out a little longer till morning when the real fun begins."

All three men walked over to the Mercury. Lou opened up the door and helped Eddie out first.

"What's up?" Eddie glanced around at the other three in the dark night with only some glistening stars above.

"We're going to move our friend out of the car so we can get some shut eye for a couple hours."

"Sounds good to me."

Lou reached in to pull Pete out of the back floor area. "Come on, Pig, let's go." As he pulled, the cuffs cut into Pete's wrists. The officer struggled to get out of the back and then with the help of Eddie he was pulled clear then pressed up against the car. Finally, being upright brought on a new wave of nausea. He pinched his eyes shut for a second and swallowed as he waited for it to pass. In the dark and cool evening air, someone new stepped up in front of Pete. He opened his eyes and looked into the man's broad face.

"Glad you could join us, Officer Malloy!" Bach beamed.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Thunder

With Pete's head clearing, the clarity of who stood before him brought about a queasy gut. He understood exactly what intentions Bach had for him, Pete spoke slowly, but with confidence, "Do you really … want to make … the same mistake?"

With a cocky head tilt and a smirk, Bach said, "I don't think this looks the same at all, Malloy! I remember last time ... MY hands were tied." He lifted up his hands in front of Pete's face and pulled them apart showing he was free.

"Bach, you still have time ... to do the right thing." Pete tried to suppress a cough. "No one is really hurt." Pete made a last ditch effort to convince the man that his current path would only lead back to jail.

"Oh Malloy, I've had a LONG time to think about how I would like to pay you back. Why don't you savor that for a few hours! Eddie, Lou, go lock him up." The two men grabbed Pete's upper arms and led him over to a post at the front of the saloon. The headlights illuminated the porch area where they took Pete.

"Don't move cop, or I'll give you a taste of what's to come." Lou held onto Pete as Eddie opened one handcuff.

"Hug the pole!" Lou demanded.

Pete glanced at both men. "You don't want to be a part of this. You'll only go down with him. This time they'll throw away the key." Just then Lou threw one quick right undercut punch into Pete's left side. He buckled forward.

"Pig, we were all there behind bars, thanks to you." Eddie slapped on the cuff again and left Pete hugging the pole. Pete leaned against it while trying to catch his breath.

"Sleep tight, Fuzz!" The two bikers cackled and headed back to the car. Eddie and Lou climbed into the back after Bach and Georgie had gotten in the front of the Mercury Cougar. Georgie flipped off the lights and all was dark. All four hoped to get some shuteye while the sun was still down, but some banging coming from the trunk prevented that.

"Someone must want out," said Eddie.

"He can wait till morning!" Bach scooted down in the seat to get a little more comfortable.

After he caught his breath, Pete tried to figure out a way to get free. The post he was cuffed to was an old support pole on the porch of the saloon. Thinking that maybe he could knock it loose or even break it, he put his shoulder down and shoved with all his might, but the thing didn't budge. Next, he tried to kick at the base, but the post showed no sign of moving or breaking after several tries. His efforts only produced a hacking cough, which was a reminder of the flu bug he was fighting. Exhausted, Pete resigned himself to being trapped. He sat down on the planks of the porch and began to battle a new enemy, the cold. His perspiration soaked undershirt only sped up the onset of hypothermia. Over the next few hours Pete fought to stay awake. His body shook uncontrollably as it tried to preserve his internal heat.

In the early morning hours Sergeant MacDonald made some headway in the investigation of the missing officers. At first it didn't make sense that two officers would be kidnapped during a routine burglary. The interview of the drugstore clerk shed some light on those possibly involved and how the evening played out. It sounded like, at first, one officer was just collateral damage. The clerk remembered that one thug had claimed to put an officer out of commission. His description of the burglars was sketchy since they wore masks, but he remembered three men, one man wearing a jean vest with the name "Satan Sinners" stitched in arched letters across the back of the vest.

After finding no signs of Reed or Malloy anywhere in the neighborhood, Mac figured that discovering who the offenders were might bring some much-needed answers. Mac dug up some information on the gang, "Satan Sinners" from an old police report. The report indicated that a group of six individuals from the gang were arrested over two years ago. The arresting officers were Reed and Malloy. Mac remembered that, the two officers were off-duty and touring a ghost town when the assault and property damage occurred. The case was memorable because Jim's wife almost gave birth in this ghost town under duress. Fortunately, she was able to safely deliver little Jimmy Reed a few days later in the hospital.

Mac was able to confirm that four of the gang members were released from prison in the last month. Those four were George Stanton, Edward Phillips, Louis Jackson, and Bartholomew Franklin. Another member, Lisa Gold, had been released after serving only one year in the women's prison. Unfortunately, Billy Catcher, the sixth gang member, died three months ago from injuries suffered in a knife fight while behind bars.

Mac pushed beyond his regular hours to follow through on his officers kidnapping. It was just before four AM when Mac summoned for Adam-36 and Adam-24 on TAC 2. He briefed the officers on the four potential suspects associated with "Satan Sinners."

Instructing both units, "I want you to track down these individuals."

He divvied up the names and addresses between the units. He had already brought in additional squads from other divisions to help scour the area and to respond to any tips. Mac had also issued a news report over the radio mentioning the gang name and stolen vehicle description.

"Let me know what you find out, Ed and Jerry. Be careful! If you run into anything hinky, don't hesitate to call in backup first."

Ed Wells heard the exhaustion in Mac's voice, he too was tired, but he wanted to pull an extra shift to see this crisis through. "Mac, get yourself a cup of coffee. We'll find them. You'll see."

"I hope so, Ed. I really hope so. L-20 out."

Out on patrol, Wells and Sanchez radioed in that no one was at the addresses given. Woods and Brinkman came up empty at the destinations they had checked. At this point they seemed to be at a dead end. The units continued to patrol the crime scene area, scouring for anything or any clues they may have missed. Several more attempts had been made at the addresses provided.

An hour later, a tip came in from a Union Oil gas station outside of Pasadena. The attendant heard the radio broadcast about the stolen Mercury Cougar. He reported helping four men, two riding motorcycles, and two in the stolen Cougar. The officer at the desk asked about any identifying clothing. The man shared that two guys were wearing vests labeled "Satan Sinners".

All of this information was relayed back to Sergeant MacDonald in a hurry. The dispatcher broadcasted to all of the units patrolling an update on the possible suspects north of Pasadena. Descriptions of the bikes and the men seen were spelled out in great detail. Dispatch radioed 1-Adam-36 and 1-Adam 24 to meet L-20 on TAC2.

From the new information gained on Satan Sinners, Mac gave both squads a new directive. "This is L-20. I'm in route to a Union Oil station in Pasadena. The address is 225 North Lake Street. Run Code 2"

The early morning sun crested over the treetops. It brought little relief and almost certainly the beginning of the end for Officer Malloy. Pete was stiff everywhere and could barely move. His heart was working to just circulate his blood in his chilled state. He tried to flex his hands, but he only felt a burning sensation from the effort. He struggled to open his eyes with sleep trying to claim him. Suddenly, he was jolted awake from a biting pain in his back. He couldn't help, but cry out from each violent lash. A moment of calm came and Pete cracked open his eyes to see Bach standing there, holding a thick leather belt in his right hand with the buckle dangled at the end.

"Good morning, Malloy! It's a beautiful day, don't ya think?" Bach sneered as he wound up for another go round with the belt. Pete gritted his teeth in anticipation this time, but still couldn't stop the grunts with each strike. The metal buckle left small rips along the back of Pete's uniform shirt and into his flesh. The wounds seeped fresh blood and the heavy belt clip dripped with the officer's crimson liquid. Malloy's cries awakened the other men and the three bailed out of the car and dashed over to Bach.

"Hey Man, you couldn't wait to get started?" Lou questioned.

"I decided he needed a bit of a wake up call."

Pete was propped against the pole, gasping for breath. He shut his eyes and shook his head as he tried to clear the fogginess from his mind that the pain caused.

Eddie looked at the others. "Shouldn't we have his buddy join him or do you want to save him for later?"

Pete barely heard the mumblings from the men and didn't really connect the possibility of Jim being there as a hostage.

Bach grabbed a handful of Pete's hair and yanked his head back as he spoke. "We have a little surprise for you, my friend!" After he released him he started to put his belt back on. "I think now is as good a time as any. Get the man out. We wouldn't want Malloy to have all the fun."

Georgie and Lou headed over to the rear of the car, and Lou popped the trunk open exposing the other bound officer crammed inside. Jim squinted from the sudden brightness of the outside world. "Time to come out, Fuzz."

It took both men to lift Jim out. His body slowly straightened up after his feet felt the solid ground. His arms and shoulders ached from the cramped quarters, but in general he was in good shape. Jim quickly recognized the surroundings. The old ghost town of Silver Lode hadn't changed much in the last two years. Several brown and gray wooden buildings lined the two sides of the dirt street and a half-dead lone tree stood at the far end of town where Jim's car had been previously shot up. Along the porches sat scattered tumbleweeds a foot and a half tall.

Georgie slammed the trunk shut, and Jim got his first look at the saloon ahead where the sight of his partner crouched against a pole sent him into a tailspin. "Oh God! Pete!" His instincts took over and he started to rush toward his friend and partner.

Lou and Georgie quickly diverted him with their strong hands. "Where do you think your going, Pig?"

"What kind of fools are you? You just got paroled." Jim spewed out before even thinking.

"Hey, Bach, he's calling us fools!"

"Maybe he's right, but this fool," he pointed to himself, "has the upper hand."

Pete glanced up and saw Jim as he was led up next to Bach. "No, not Jim!" came out in a whisper.

**Thanks to everyone leaving a review. I also appreciate the help from a couple folks with editing.


	5. Chapter 5

In memory of my beloved Peanut, a ten year old Australian Shepherd who passed away on Friday. She is the beautiful dog in my picture. The story continues...

Chapter 5

Bach snidely remarked, "What a nice reunion of our boys in blue. This is the moment I have been waiting two years for." Jim struggled with the two men restraining him. He gave a lingering look to Pete wanting to connect with his partner. "We have the two men responsible for us landing in prison!"

Not wanting to look defeated, Pete struggled to stand up bracing his hands high on the pole he was bound to. "Bach, we didn't ... put you there. … You did that all yourselves."

"Ah Man, we were just having some fun that day. You changed all that. Matter of fact, you even had a pair of ladies watching it all go down. Malloy, do you still have that little blonde taking care of you?"

"No."

"Too bad, she was one tough broad."

A picture of Sally holding a pistol over Bach popped into Pete's head. _She was one tough cookie._ Stinging pain in his back caused Pete to grit his teeth.

Bach turned and faced Jim. "How about you, Reed? Did your woman have that baby? Is a little Reed running around?"

With his emotions threatening to boil over, Jim decided to stay quiet.

In an effort to get a reaction out of the cop, Bach egged on. "I'm sure your wife would like a visit from us after your funeral. I could console her."

Jim exploded by pressing toward Bach with the intent to shove him down. "Don't ... you ... dare ... touch my wife and son!" Lou and Georgie had to restrain him.

_Jim don't let them get in your head._

Bach stepped back, "She'll surely be lonely," he expressed sarcastically. "Eddie, you thought she was pretty, right?"

Before Eddie could answer," You'll be back, where you belong, behind bars." Jim blurted out.

"Well, Man, it's time to enjoy this. Eddie, grab me a beer." Bach directed.

"You got it." He returned to the car and pulled out a couple beer cans. He tossed one to Bach and opened the other one for himself. Bach opened his and took a big swig.

"Now Malloy, I know you're thrilled to have your pig partner here. What could be better, but to suffer and die together?"

It couldn't get much worse for Jim and Pete. The potential of dying on the job was real every day, but neither could envision this being the way it would happen.

"Boys, why don't you give Officer Reed a little taste."

Bach and Eddie leaned against the hood of the car and watched as Lou and Georgie took turns unloading punches to Jim's face and mid-section. Jim would have crumpled to the ground except for one man always held him up.

Pete couldn't just stand there and watch this happen. He began to beg. "Please, Bach, stop this! He's a father! A husband!"

Bach looked over at Reed. His lip was busted and bleeding and his legs had collapsed underneath him. "Ok, Boys, let's spread the love around. I think Officer Malloy would like a serving." Bach gulped down the last of his beer while the two men dropped the limp Reed to the ground. He walked over to the car and grabbed two more cans of beer for Lou and Georgie. "Enjoy, Fellas." He passed them a morning serving of brew. "Now, it's my turn. Eddie, help me out. Unhook him." He pointed to Pete's handcuffs.

"You sure, Bach?"

"Yeah, 100% sure." Bach, of course, thought that Pete was at a fair disadvantage after enduring the clonk to the head and body whipping. He hadn't even taken into consideration the cop being sick.

Eddie apprehensively keyed open the cuff lock so both bracelets released. Pete pushed off the post and steadied his weary legs as he rubbed his sore wrists. It was the first bit of relief from the metal's tight chokehold. Pete was thinking this might be his only chance to save Jim. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he agonized over the sight of Jim's prone body. He had to find the strength to get the upper hand. He needed leverage. He tried to assess the situation, noting who showed off a weapon.

The little bit of alcohol gave Bach the over confidence. "Come on, Malloy… Take your shot." Bach waved Pete over.

Pete cautiously stepped off the saloon's porch closing the gap between him and Bach. Georgie, Lou, and Eddie cheered their leader on. "Take him!"

In his weakened state, Pete took the first swing with his right, but Bach moved away just enough to make him miss. Quickly, Bach stepped in with a quick jab into Pete's exposed right side. The hit caused a cough and cringe from Pete. Then, Bach came in with a second strike. This time Pete knocked his arm aside and leveled one decent punch to Bach's midsection. He staggered back.

"Hey!" Eddie started to step in, but Bach waved him back. Next, Bach squatted like a wrestler ready to move any direction. He swiftly pulled out and brandished a four-inch blade. Pete jockeyed for position then dove into the man. He tackled him to the ground and wrestled for the knife. The two men made two complete rolls in the dust battling for the weapon. Not looking to be cut, Eddie and the others just watched it play out. Jim rose up his bruised face to witness the commotion a few feet away. Finally, Pete twisted and threw a sharp elbow into Bach's stomach that caused him to drop the blade. Bach tried to crawl away, but Pete grabbed him from behind then put a chokehold on his enemy's throat. Bach desperately pulled at Pete's arm, which squeezed his air pipe almost closed. All three bikers now stood not knowing what to do.

Pete held tight to the point of almost causing Bach to pass out. He yelled, "Uncuff Reed now or Bach dies!" In distress Bach started to flail his arms and legs making it more difficult for Pete to hang on. "Drop your guns!" Pete barked. He still managed to hang onto Bach.

Jim struggled to get up with his hands shackled behind his back.

Eddie and Georgie looked at each other questioning what to do, but Lou acted. He knocked Jim down to the ground with a knee to the back. He reached out and grabbed a fistful of hair and jerked his head back. He shoved his piece into Jim's right temple. "Let Bach go or watch your partner's head blow up right here and now!" He began to count, "One, two, …"

"Ok! Ok!" Pete released Bach with raised hands and was left sitting in the street. Bach rolled forward on his hands and knees and coughed and gasped in fresh air.

Pete stared at Jim waiting for the gun to move from his head. Then he saw Lou suddenly strike Reed in the side of his skull with the gun butt.

"No!" Pete yelled as he saw his friend collapse.

After catching his breath, Bach immediately reached for the loose knife, which laid just a couple feet away. Cheeks flushed and teeth clenched from his anger he lunged back at Pete and stabbed the blade deep into his left thigh. Pete screamed out in pain. He instinctively rolled forward and grabbed at his leg. Bach still on the warpath yanked out the knife then wielded it toward Pete's chest. Malloy raised his forearm just in time to deflect the blow, but it resulted in a nasty gash. At the next strike Pete grabbed Bach's wrist and held on. The blade slowly inched closer to his throat.

"Time ... to die, ... Malloy!" Bach huffed out as he muscled against Pete's grip. Somehow Pete managed to budge the knife off to the side and it plunged deep into the dirt just missing his shoulder. Bach pulled at the knife, but it was stuck in the ground. In that one brief moment the opportunity to escape came. Pete rolled out of Bach's reach. With his adrenaline up and his heart pumping, blood saturated his pant leg. Pete tried to get up, but the blood loss made him light-headed, and he collapsed back down onto the street.

Bach screamed to Lou who was the closest to him, "Give me a gun!" Both Eddie and Georgie stood back with arms crossed and empty beer cans in hand as the life and death struggle played out.

Lou stood and Bach got up to meet him. Before handing over the gun, Lou asked, "Do you want me to finish him?"

"No. Give me the gun! He's all mine!"

Pete laid in the street in his navy uniform looking more brown than blue from the dust-covered damp fabric. His breaths were labored. He had propped himself up on his elbows trying to watch Bach's next move, but with little hope of any real resistance.

At that moment a dust swirl rose up as three black and white squad cars raced down the center road into the ghost town. Bach grabbed the handgun then took aim at the first police car. He squeezed off three rounds as the squads slammed on the brakes.

Eddie and Georgie dropped their cans and made a run for the two hogs behind the Mercury. Lou pulled out another pistol from his back waistband and joined Bach in peppering the cars. Mac opened his driver's side door, and returned fire along with Wells and Sanchez. Lou caught a bullet in the gut and toppled over. Reckless and angry Bach turned toward the parked Cougar and the flat-out Malloy. Focused on one thing, retribution, he started for Pete, but got tripped up. He fell forward and dropped the gun in the process. In two seconds Officer Wells and Sanchez were on top of him. They pressed him to the ground and pulled his arms back to cuff him. From that position Bach looked back and saw Jim Reed awake with both legs propped out in the tripping position.

"Damn you, Fuzz!"

Brinkman and Woods circled their squad around to cut off the two bikes. Realizing their escape wasn't likely, both Eddie and Georgie gave up without any further gunfire.

Officer Sanchez struggled with the cuffed Bach to get him back to the squad. Bach continued to grumble, "It's not over, Malloy."

Officer Wells leaned down to check on Jim. He quickly opened the cuffs and helped the weary Jim into a sitting position. "How are you feeling, Jim?" He couldn't really focus and kept blinking his eyes.

"I'll ... be ok."

When he reached up to rub his face, Ed stopped him. "Buddy, you have some blood there. Let's not do that."

Mac darted over to Pete after he radioed in a request for an ambulance and backup to Silver Lode.

"How's ... Pete?" Jim stammered out then struggled to get up.

Ed Wells held Jim down. "You just relax there. It looks like Mac is checking on him."

Pete was pale and taking short shallow breaths. Mac kneeled down beside him and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Pete, it's Mac. We're going to get you to a hospital."

Malloy gave a slight nod then leaned back till he was lying flat. He reached with his left hand to cover his throbbing thigh wound. "I'm not ... feeling so hot."

Mac could see the blood gushing through Pete's fingers. With nothing to work with Mac unbuttoned his shirt and ripped a couple large strips from it. "Hold on, Pete. This is gonna hurt." He wrapped the strip around Pete's thigh and tied it tight. Pete moaned as he tightened down the knot. Mac then took the other strip and wrapped the wound on his right forearm. "Is there anywhere else that's hurt?"

"You ... pick."

Mac looked over his friend. He was scrapped up from head to toe. "You're a mess, Pete." Mac said it in jest, but was frightened in reality.

"Tell me ... something ... I don't know."

Officers Woods and Wells came over, and Mac stood up to talk with them. "How is he?" Jerry asked.

"He's bleeding pretty badly. I don't think we should wait for the ambulance to get here. How is Reed?"

Ed quietly spoke. "He may have a concussion, but I think he'll be ok."

"Ok. Let's get Jim in my front seat and Pete in the back. Jerry, you follow me down. Ed, you stay here with your prisoner and wait for another squad to arrive. They can meet up with the coroner then. Woods, you help Ed get Jim in the car, then come back over to help me with Pete."


	6. Chapter 6

* Thank you to all those that left a review. I appreciate hearing from you.

Chapter 6 - Thunder

Mac knelt back down beside Pete. "Pete, we're going to move you into my squad in just a minute. I want you to sit tight and let us do all the work when we move you."

Pete reached up and grabbed Mac's arm. "How's Jim?

"I think he's going to be fine." Mac said with confidence.

"Good. That's ... good." Pete closed his eyes as he relaxed in that news. Then he looked up at Mac, "How'd you find us?"

"A little detective work and a little luck. The drugstore clerk noticed the gang name on the vest that one of the men wore in the burglary. When the name Satan Sinners came up, I looked for any connections and found that it was the name of the gang you had arrested. I had the member's addresses checked out and came up empty. Fortunately, we got a tip from an attendant who sold gas to them and they were in the stolen car. Silver Lode came up in the arrest report and the location of the gas station had them headed in the same direction. I decided to play a hunch."

"Glad ... you did."

Mac gave Pete a smile and a small head nod. "Me too, Friend. Now, you just relax and we'll get you loaded up just as soon as Jerry and Ed get Jim settled in the car."

Jerry and Ed wrapped an arm around Jim on either side and helped him over to Mac's car. They eased his battered and bloody body into the front seat. Jim held a handkerchief to his right temple to stop the steady oozing. Jerry then opened up the rear door for their next injured friend while Ed kept a watchful eye on Jim. Jerry headed over to help Mac with Pete.

"Jerry, can you get his legs? I'll get his arms. And be careful with the left one."

Pete chimed in softly. "I can help, guys. Give me a hand." Jerry reached out and grabbed Pete's raised hand. As he pulled him into a sitting position Pete blacked out.

"Mac!" Jerry screamed in a panic.

"I got him!" Mac cradled Pete's upper body as Jerry grasped his legs and the two men carried his limp body to the squad car. Jim became alarmed as he saw his unconscious friend being loaded into the car.

Jim called out, "Mac?"

"It's ok, Jim. He just passed out. His pulse is ok, but we need to get going. He's lost a lot of blood."

Mac climbed into the driver's seat and grabbed the mike, "This is 1 L-20, I'm running Code 3 on Mount Lowe Road to Chaney Trail toward Central Receiving. I'm transporting two injured officers. Please check the status of the ambulance in route to Silver Lode and brief me on their current location."

Woods and Brinkman followed close behind. They were limited on how fast they could safely travel on the remote roads. Mac didn't want to alert Jim to his true concerns for Pete, so he started to ask some questions of how things went down in order to distract him.

Jim glanced back at Pete then over at Mac. "I blew it, Mac. I got suckered."

"What do you mean?"

"Pete was in the drugstore buying some medicine that I pestered him to get. I was waiting in the squad when someone came up to the car from the alley, asking for help. I radioed for an ambulance then went to help."

Jim shook his head in frustration, "I ... I just didn't see it coming. That was so stupid of me. Pete wouldn't be hurt now if I hadn't pushed him to stop at the drugstore."

"Hey, Jim, stop beating yourself up. It's not your fault. You didn't know Pete would walk in on a burglary. And the possibility of it being the gang you two put away was even more remote."

Jim squinted his eyes and rubbed his aching forehead. His head was still pounding from the earlier blow. He turned around in the seat trying to watch over his partner. "Pete, can you hear me?"

Nothing. Not a sound came from the backseat.

As they drove into the city Mac got an update on the ambulance. "It should be close." Mac saw the lights flashing as the bus approached. He pulled the squad over. "Jim, I want you to sit tight while we get Pete loaded." Mac stepped out of the squad to flag down the ambulance.

Brinkman and Woods pulled their squad close behind Mac's vehicle in case he needed help. Brinkman stayed with the prisoners while Woods joined Mac. The ambulance attendants quickly unloaded the gurney and parked it beside Mac's car. They noticed the one officer looked a bit strange wearing only a white undershirt though he was still wearing his police gear.

The sergeant started a rundown to the bus crew. "I've got two injured men. Officer Malloy seems worse off. He's unconscious and bleeding badly from a thigh wound. I really don't know how else he's hurt. Officer Reed has been beaten, and was bleeding from a head wound when we found them, but he's awake and talking."

"We'll take it from here, Sir." The two attendants carefully lifted Pete out of the backseat and positioned him on the gurney. A low groan was barely heard by Mac and Jerry. Pete's pant leg dripped blood across the pavement and onto the fresh gurney sheets. The paleness of Pete did not go unnoticed from both men. They quickly strapped him in and rushed to place him inside the bus. Paul, an attendant, climbed in behind Pete and quickly placed an oxygen mask over Pete's nose and mouth. Then he went to work placing another pressure bandage over Mac's makeshift one. A second later, Brad, the other attendant, helped Jim into the back of the ambulance. He settled him into a seat facing Pete's gurney. "Here. Put this on your head wound." He handed over an ice pack to Jim.

"Brad, we need to get moving!"

"On it!" He jumped out of the back, slammed the doors, and circled around to the driver's door.

After the ambulance pulled away with lights flashing and siren blaring, Mac looked at Jerry. "I'm going to head to the hospital. I'll call Jean Reed when I get there. Go ahead and take the suspects into the station for booking."

"Mac, do you want me to bring you another shirt?"

Mac had almost forgotten that he was standing there with only an undershirt on. "Yeah, I guess that would be a good idea. Thanks, Jerry."

As Mac turned to close his rear door, he noticed the blood smeared all along the seat. His clenched fist covered his mouth as he mumbled, "Pete, you've got to pull through." He closed the door and jogged around the vehicle to get in.

When Mac finally arrived at the hospital, both officers were already in emergency treatment rooms. He stepped up to the admittance desk and introduced himself. "I'm Sergeant MacDonald, with the Los Angeles Police Department. I had two officers brought in a few minutes ago."

The desk nurse gave him an unusual look. He quickly looked down at himself then back at her before he said, "I had to use my uniform shirt to tie off a bleeder in my officer's leg."

"Sorry Sir, I didn't realize..." She followed the statement with, "That was very resourceful of you."

"Can you tell me who I can get an update from?"

"Yes, if you would like to have a seat in the waiting area, I will send someone over as soon as we get a status on the men."

"Thank you." Mac paused a second then decided to go out to his squad car to grab his police jacket. He came back in with it on and feeling a little more inconspicuous. He walked down the hall and into the pale blue waiting room with a cluster of twelve or more chairs. Only three others were seated in the back corner waiting on news of their loved one. Mac took a seat then thought twice about calling Jean Reed. He hated to call without really knowing the condition of Jim, but he wouldn't be surprised if it took some time to hear from the doctor. _I best call Jean now. _Mac got up and glanced down toward the admission desk. He walked back over. "Excuse me, do you have a phone I can use?"

"Yes, just go straight up this hallway and the phone is on the right."

"Thank you."

Mac knew that this early morning call would be a relief to Jean. He dialed her number still with some apprehension.

A soft "hello" was the response on the other end after only one ring.

"Morning, Jean, this is Sergeant MacDonald."

She quickly interjected, "Oh yes, Mac. Did you find Jim? Is he ok?"

"Jean, we did find Jim and Pete. They were both injured, but I'm pretty sure Jim will be ok. I'm at Central Receiving now awaiting an update."

"But, what about Pete?" She could hear the unspoken message.

"Well, ... I hope he'll be ok too, but he was in worse shape."

"Oh God no! I need to be with Jim."

"Jean, why don't I send a car to pick you up?"

"That would be fine. I need to call my mother about coming over to be with Jimmy, but I think I could be ready in thirty minutes."

"Ok, Jean. I'll see you soon."

Mac hung up the phone and quickly redialed the station. He put in a request for an officer to bring Jean Reed to the hospital. He didn't have any more news yet to pass on to his superiors regarding the condition of the officers. He did ask the officer answering the phone to track down Malloy's parent's number, knowing that he would need it after learning more about his condition. Mac headed back to the waiting area to await news on his men.

Hunched over in the stiff uncomfortable chair, a few moments later, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked up to see Lt. Moore standing there with two cups of coffee in his hands. "Here Bill. I think you could use this. You like it black , right?"

"Thank you, Sir." Mac appreciated the gesture. Lt. Moore went to sit down beside him.

"Bill, it's Val. I know you're worried about your men. No one wants to go through this alone. What do we know?"

"Malloy and Reed were taken hostage by a biker gang. Their intentions were obviously to kill them. We arrived at the ghost town just in time... or at least I hope it was in time..." Mac paused and rubbed across his stubbly face. He began to shake his head. "Jim Reed was beaten up, but Pete was unconscious and bleeding badly when I handed them off to the ambulance attendants."

"Bill, I don't know of anyone stronger than Pete and Jim. We need to keep the faith that they'll both pull through."

A man dressed in a long white coat approached the waiting area. He glanced to the back of the room then over at the two uniformed officers. As he walked over both officers stood. "Please gentlemen, take a seat." He pulled over a chair and joined them. "I'm Dr. Carter. You must be here for Officers Reed and Malloy."

"Yes, I'm Sergeant MacDonald and this is Lt. Moore. So, how are they?"

"I'm sorry for the wait, but I wanted to get the results back on the x-rays first. Officer Reed is doing well. He has a mild concussion and a couple cracked ribs. We taped up his ribs for support, but any movement will be uncomfortable for a while. In general he's pretty bruised up, but I think he can be released after twenty-four hours of observation."

Both officers exhaled loudly, "That's good to hear."

"Now, Officer Malloy is another story. He had quite a bit of blood loss and was in shock when he came in. We did a blood transfusion and took him to surgery to repair the damage done by the deep penetrating wound. I believe he sustained a serious concussion plus we found multiple contusions and open wounds on his back that will need attention after surgery. Do either of you know what caused these injuries?"

Mac looked at Val with fury in his eyes then back at Dr. Carter. "Both men were kidnapped less than twelve hours ago, but we don't know what all was done to them."

The officers' anger was palpable. The doctor decided to pressed on with the update on Pete.

"Officer Malloy is still in surgery, but his values were looking good when I stepped out. I think he'll pull through, but these next few hours will be critical. Do either of you have any questions for me?"

Both officers had pensive faces as they tried to absorb the information. Mac spoke up, "No, Doctor."

Lieutenant Moore then suddenly asked, "When can we speak with Officer Reed?"

"I believe he was moved into a regular room. I'll have a nurse show you to it. But, gentlemen, he will need to rest. Please keep your visit short."

"Thank you, Dr. Carter."

"I'll check back with you after Officer Malloy is in recovery."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The next day the blinds were up and the sun scattered across half of the bed. Pete rested quietly in the regular room just twenty-four hours after his emergency surgery. The transfer from ICU went smoothly with the patient sleeping through it all. Perspiration glistened from any exposed skin as a result from the fever he battled. A heavy bandage covered the surgical site on his left thigh. His one arm was tethered down from the intravenous line that delivered the lactated ringers. Only the steady beeping of the heart monitor resounded in the room. During the last few hours Pete had only opened his eyes briefly before quickly fading back into an unconscious bliss. His body seemed to be channeling all it's energy into healing. At this point Doctor Carter had kept almost every visitor out so his patient could rest. His Sergeant and the Lieutenant looked in once while he was still in ICU then Val forced Mac to go home for some much-needed sleep.

Doctor Carter made his early morning rounds visiting Officer Malloy first. He grabbed his chart and perused over it for his last vitals then sat it to the side before putting in his stethoscope earpieces to assess Pete's lung and heart sounds.

"Can I get you anything, doctor?" A youthful blonde nurse asked.

Pulling out his earpieces he glanced from his patient to his assistant, "Cindy, can you get a 1 gm vial of Ampicillin? I don't want these rattles to develop into full-blown Pneumonia plus his fever is worrying me. Give it slowly in his IV."

"Yes Sir, right away."

He jotted down some quick notes on Pete's chart then leaned closer and asked, "Pete, can you hear me?" He saw a light twitch of his eyelashes, which meant he was waking, but then nothing. He picked up his limp hand in his own, "Pete, squeeze my hand," but still, no response. The doctor rocked his patient gently up on his side to see the bandage covering the back wounds for any seeping. "Looks good." Next he palpated his abdomen and a slight moan was the first response to the pressure. He then checked the condition of the leg bandage, "Clean and dry" he spoke out loud to himself. Then a bit of a domino effect occurred. Pete eyes flickered, he clenched his fists, then flexed back into his pillow with a grimace crossing his face. "Good Morning, Pete. I'm Doctor Carter. Can you tell me how you're feeling?"

Pete tried to focus on the doctor, but squinted from the pain associated with the brightness in the room. With a super dry throat Pete whispered, "my head ... is killing me."

"Well, that's to be expected. You got a pretty good bump on the head, which resulted in a severe concussion. Other than your head, how does everything else feel on a scale of one to ten? Ten being the worst."

"Maybe ... an eight."

The doctor gently patted his right thigh. "Ok, I'll get you some more pain medication right away.

"What time ... is it?"

"Seven in the morning. Monday morning."

"Monday?" Confusion crossed his face.

"Yes, you've been at the hospital for over twenty-four hours. I wouldn't be surprised if your memories of the last couple days are very spotty. It's a common side effect of concussions."

Just then the nurse came back into the room and stepped beside the bed to give the antibiotics in the IV line. "Oh good, he's awake. Morning Officer Malloy. Doctor, can I go ahead with the medication?"

"Yes, Cindy. And then can you get another dose of Morphine for him?"

"Yes, Sir." The nurse gave the antibiotics then paused before leaving. "Doctor, I know Officer Malloy has some visitors waiting to see him. Should I let them in?"

"Not just yet."

"I'll be right back with the pain medication."

Pete shifted and a rattled cough resulted. The sudden movement reminded him of all his aches. He gritted his teeth then said, "Doc, I need ... to see my sergeant." Pete rubbed his forehead with his free right hand hoping to stop the dreaded throbbing then left his hand over his eyes to block the light.

His actions didn't go unnoticed. The doctor walked over to the window and closed the blinds. "Pete, you can talk with your superior in good time. Right now, your priority is to rest. Doctor's orders." He walked back over and tapped him again on the leg. "I'm going to give you something to help you sleep."

Pete's eyes popped open with a sudden clarity. He leaned forward and groaned out, "Jim?"

"Whoa there! Where do you think you're going?"

"My partner..."

"You must be talking about Officer Reed."

"Yes," another wet cough followed. His breathing increased to short rapid breaths.

"He's doing just fine. He cracked a couple ribs and has a mild concussion, but otherwise is doing well. I signed his release papers this morning."

Even in his pained state, a sense of relief washed over Pete from the doctor's words about Jim.

Nurse Cindy returned and gave the pain injection promptly. The medication brought a warming sensation throughout his body. The doctor softly requested one more thing. Before Pete knew it, the doctor gave one last medication in his IV. His breathing slowed, his body relaxed, his eyes closed, and he finally succumbed to the sedative drugs.

"Cindy, keep a close eye on him. Let me know if he has any changes in his breathing patterns, otherwise I'll be back to look in on him in two hours."

"Yes, Doctor."

"I'll go talk to his visitors."

Dr. Carter made his way out to the waiting area. He spotted a pacing gentleman in plain clothes, he recognized as Sergeant MacDonald. Another two uniformed officers leaned against the wall while two more sat in the line of chairs holding paper coffee cups with steam rising. One last man sat beside the others in a wheelchair who Carter knew as his recently released patient, Jim Reed. "Excuse me, Gentlemen." All six men stopped talking and gave the doctor their full attention.

"I know you want to see Officer Malloy, but I want to stress how important it is for him to rest. His body is trying to overcome a number of injuries plus early stages of pneumonia. I believe we are managing him quite well with antibiotics and pain medication, but we can't overstate his need for sleep. Now, I have given him a sedative so he won't be talking for a while. He will be allowed visitors later tonight for only short periods."

Mac spoke up first, "Is he out of the woods yet, Doctor?"

"I believe he is, but I plan to keep a close eye on his lung function."

Ed Wells stood up. "Does he remember what happened to him?"

"The problem with a concussion is the high likelihood of partial amnesia. He is experiencing some other symptoms resulting from the head injury from a severe headache, sensitivity to light, and some confusion. I just think it's best for him right now to not answer any questions. I'll reevaluate him throughout the day and will give you updates, Sergeant."

"Thank you, Doctor." Mac shared as the other officers nodded.

Dr. Carter hustled off to see other patients just as Jean Reed walked up with a couple medicine vials in hand. "Should we get you home, Jim?"

He gave a forlorn look. "Honey, I would just like to peek in on Pete."

"Is he allowed visitors yet?"

"No, but I won't talk to him. I just need to see that he's ok."

Mac glanced down the hall like a look out. "Just a peek can't hurt." He wheeled Jim down the hallway to room 412. He pushed through the door and entered the darkened room. Nurse Cindy turned and walked over to intercept the two men.

"I'm sorry. Officer Malloy isn't allowed visitors."

"We know. It's just ... his partner, Jim," he motioned to Jim in the chair, "was just released and he really wanted to see him before he left the hospital." Mac stated.

Jim pleaded, "I promise not to talk to him. I just need to see that he's ok."

She waffled with the idea then gave in. "Ok, just for one minute."

Both Mac and Jim were so relieved to see Pete resting comfortably. He was going to be ok. It might take some time, but their family was still intact.

Thanks for reading this! I may add more if the story speaks to me.


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